Persona Non Grata
by Theralion
Summary: Natsu, Lucy and Lisanna, together and with the help of their guild, work to uncover why people would write stories in which Lucy is kicked out of the guild
1. Introduction

**Persona Non Grata**

* * *

 **Introduction**

One day, at Fairy Tail's guild hall, Natsu, Lisanna and Lucy were sitting in the main hall. They had recently returned from the Alvarez Empire, where Natsu and Lucy had gone to find Makarov, and Lisanna had gone to rescue everyone. They had barely escaped alive from one of the emperor's elite bodyguards, and now were preparing for war against the might of the empire itself.

The invasion had yet to arrive, though, so Fairy Tail used the time to rest, train and engage in the frivolities of day-to-day life. One day, Natsu, with Happy in tow, came before Lucy and Lisanna, who were sitting together at a table.

"Good to see you," Natsu said. "Have either of you read what people are writing about us?"

"You mean the fics where the two of us kick Lucy out of the guild for being weak and getting in the way of our romantic relationship?" Lisanna said. "Yeah, I've been reading them, and I have no idea how this could come to pass."

Natsu looked blankly at Lisanna and shrugged. He was tempted to point out that he and Lisanna were the usual offenders, but he was also having trouble wrapping his head around why either of them would do such a thing.

"The only upside of this is that Happy doesn't seem to be in on it," Natsu said. "I suppose they're right on one count out of... how many?"

"They don't really deserve credit for not actively demonizing people, Natsu," Happy said.

"It depends," Lucy said. "Sometimes, it's just Lisanna and everyone she manages to fool, other times it's our entire team, and still other times, it's the entire guild.'

"So the number of offenders varies from case to case," Lisanna said. "But what about the motive? Do people really think there's a love triangle at play?"

Lucy shrugged.

"Well, Cana told me once, before we went to Edolas and came back with you, that the two of us had similar relationships with Natsu," Lucy said. "If that relationship was romantic, you'd view me as a rival, and if people believe that, they'd likely want me out of the way."

"I don't, Lucy," Lisanna said. "Natsu and I were- and still are- close, but we're not the same as we were as little kids, just like how Mira-nee and Erza actually get along nowadays."

"Yeah," Natsu said. "Gildarts teased me a little about it, not knowing that Lisanna had disappeared two years before he got back, but even apart from that, I'm not sure I could have given him a real answer."

"Me neither," Lisanna said. "Then again, the three of us are more honest with our feelings than my brother and a certain someone from the Raijin Tribe are."

Natsu and Lucy chuckled, wondering if everyone at Fairy Tail except for Elfman and Evergreen knew about the spark between them.

"Yeah," Lucy said. "I get that Elfman would take it personally when his sister chose someone else as her partner, although not all of us got our first choices; Evergreen wanted to team up with Fried, Juvia wanted Gray, and Jet and Droy wanted Levy-chan."

"That's true," Lisanna said, "although I suppose I'm lucky Juvia's a girl who already has her sights on Gray. I pity any guy who tries to ask for me to be their partner when Elf-nii-chan's around to hear it, since he's one of those older brothers who are protective of their sisters, to say the least."

"Good thing I've got Happy," Natsu said. He was confident that he could defeat Elfman in a fight, but was unwilling to deal with Elfman if Elfman wished to protect Lisanna from him.

"Aye, sir!" Happy said.

Lucy simply smiled, having heard the story about how Natsu and Lisanna, with a little help from Elfman, cared for Happy's egg until it hatched. While Lucy was not quite as self-deprecating as Wendy, she did not seriously expect anyone to choose her as a partner for the S-Class exam, as some of her closest friends at Fairy Tail had known each other for years. The only real surprise back then had been Gray's friendship with Loke, and a promise since last year to partner with Gray should he become an S-Class candidate.

That realization, however, only opened more questions. Fairy Tail was a close-knit guild, but it was also an inclusive one, and Lucy, along with those who had come after her, had settled in nicely, making friends and becoming valued members of the guild. Lucy thus found it hard to accept that they would see her only as a replacement for Lisanna or consider her too weak to keep around. Natsu and Lisanna felt the same way she did, so she was certain the others agreed.

"I've got an idea," Lucy said. "Let's go find some people around the guild, most notably the rest of our team and Lisanna's siblings and ask them what they think about this."

Natsu and Lisanna nodded in agreement. Fairy Tail was not entirely back up and running yet as far as job requests went, since it was preparing for war, so they would likely find everyone around the guild. Perhaps they would not find a definitive answer to why they were portrayed in such a way, but they would likely learn a great deal from the process.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

As you might have guessed by now, this fanfic will examine how the canon Fairy Tail cast would react to the common fanfic in which Lucy gets bullied/kicked out of the guild by Lisanna and/or the rest of team Natsu after Lisanna's return. As you can see, none of them could see a scenario like that taking place, and they all have their reasons for feeling the way they do.

The fic is relatively short compared to my other work, and its individual chapters are, as well. It's somewhat hard to go too long with this without repeating myself, so I had the characters say things beyond "this is wrong and we would never do such a thing to one of our own."


	2. Team Natsu

**Team Natsu**

The first group that the three planned on talking to were the primary offenders... and Wendy. Upon finding them, Natsu, Lucy and Lisanna attempted to explain the fics to them. Unfortunately, after several minutes, none of them seemed to understand them much better than they did at the start

"So, do any of you have any idea why we would do such a thing?" Natsu said.

"As much as I'd like to come up with an answer and rub it in your face," Gray said, " I have to admit that it's beyond me at this point."

"The same goes for me," Erza said.

"Well, I've got an idea," Lisanna said. "What would you guys do if I came before you, covered in injuries?"

"First, we'd have Wendy or Porlyuscia-san take a look at you," Erza said. "Then we'd find out how- and from _whom_ \- you got those injuries, and respond accordingly."

"What if they're fake?" Lisanna said. After seeing so many fics in which she was portrayed as evil, she was starting to get somewhat desensitized to the trend, but still had trouble accepting that she would be stupid enough to make such poorly thought-out plans, and worse still, that her guildmates would be gullible enough to believe her.

"We'd probably notice, since we're not that stupid," Erza said. "We trust each other, but it's not blind trust- it's based on the knowledge that none of us would harm or deceive our comrades."

The rest of Team Natsu nodded in agreement, but Carla scoffed. It had taken her a while for her to trust and warm up to the rest of Fairy Tail, but at this point, the idea that any of them would do something so cruel to one of their own offended her.

"I hope none of you are implying that Wendy is truly capable of this," Carla said, "or that her belief that Fairy Tail would be a good home for the two of us would turn out to be wrong."

"We're not," Lucy said. "Usually, the fics vary in who the principal offenders are, but they're generally Natsu and/or Lisanna, and if Natsu's involved, so are Erza and Gray. The exceptions, however, are you, Wendy and Happy, along with various others, such as Lisanna's siblings, Levy, Juvia and even Gajeel of all people."

"That's a small relief," Wendy said, "but I knew from when we fought the Oracion Seis together that you, Natsu-san, Gray-san and Erza-san were all good people. This guild is the one Jellal... I mean, Mystogan called home, after all."

"True," Erza said. "Mystogan didn't talk much to others, but he was loyal to Fairy Tail through thick and thin."

"We're curious about another thing," Happy said. "Lucy used to overestimate her strength compared to the rest of Fairy Tail, but is she really as weak as the fics say she is?"

Everyone present shook their heads.

"Weaker than a male cat who doesn't have any skills apart from the Exceeds' inherent magic, Aera?" Carla said. "That's hard to believe. Of course, you do have your good points, too, and so Lucy and Lisanna."

Happy blushed.

"I certainly have a hard time seeing you as weak, Lucy," Erza said, "and that's just from what I've seen first-hand. You fought well alongside us against man enemies, such as Eisenwald, Hades, the dragons, the Tartaros guild, and the Avatar cult. Together with Yukino, you summoned all twelve Celestial Spirits and closed the Eclipse Gate. You only lost against Flare because your opponent cheated _twice_ , and you hung in there nicely against Minerva, who's a formidable opponent."

"That's good to hear," Lisanna said. "Unfortunately, I don't suppose that I stack up well against all that."

With a sigh, Erza turned to Lisanna and shook her head.

"To be honest, Lisanna," Erza said," your performance in the S-Class exam- the only time I've seen you fight since your return- was somewhat lackluster. You're not necessarily supposed to be a match for any of the S-Class wizards should you have the misfortune of facing us on the exam, but I expected more from any who wanted to get past me and prove themselves worthy of S-Class status."

"I know," Lisanna said. She knew that Elfman and Evergreen had only gotten by her sister after tricking her into thinking they were getting married, and how Natsu had passed Gildarts' test of sorts, despite still being far from his level of power.

"That said, there are some extenuating factors," Erza said. "First, you spent the past two years in Edolas, unable to use your magic. With that in mind, it's a relief that your skills didn't irreversibly atrophy. As such, I wondered for a while whether I was overly hard on you and Juvia, even if I believed that it was only fair to have high standards for would-be S-Class wizards."

"I understand where you're coming from, Erza," Lisanna said.

"Second, Juvia was nowhere near her full power," Erza said, "especially when she didn't wholeheartedly want to become an S-Class mage. The effort she put into fighting me was a far cry from what she put into fighting Meredy to protect Gray."

"I suppose I get your point, Erza, but I don't get why Juvia wouldn't want to become S-Class," Gray said. "She was essentially Phantom Lord's elite as part of the Element Four, around the same size as our S-Class- so one would think that she'd want to regain her former rank."

"Being S-Class has its share of rights and responsibilities, and isn't something just anyone can earn," Erza said, "but for some people, it's just a title, a means to an end, or a secondary goal. Some people might not want the responsibility, like Nab, who doesn't even take normal jobs."

"You do have a point," Gray said. "But even though my desire to become an S-Class mage to do the most dangerous jobs and get there ahead of a certain Fire Dragon Slayer might seem petty, it's one that I seriously pursue, so I'll succeed next time."

"Same here," Natsu said. "I might no longer be able to find Igneel, but I've got other reasons for wanting to advance to S Class."

Lisanna paused to think. She was honestly surprised that in the two years that she had been in Edolas, Natsu had gotten strong enough to qualify to be an S-Class mage. Unfortunately, before the next S-Class exam could be held, Natsu learned the truth about Igneel and then witnessed his death at the hands of Acnologia. It was difficult to predict the future with any degree of reliability, so Lisanna could not say for certain how long she would be able to stay with her sisters and friends.

"I honestly wish Carla could see who I could marry in the future," Lisanna said. "It would definitely set some people straight."

"As I said before, I cannot see that far in the future, nor with that degree of clarity," Carla said. "The most you could expect me to foresee is you in a wedding dress, and that would likely be, at most, a few days before your marriage; you would likely be engaged by then."

"Right," Lisanna said. "And in that case, you probably couldn't tell whether I was getting married, left at the altar or cosplaying as a bride, like I did in Mira-nee's match against Jenny."

"You know what's better than the power to see what'll happen in the future?" Natsu said. "It's the power to decide what'll happen yourself. I suppose that's why people like writing about us so much; they want to write how things will turn out."

"That's a good point, Natsu," Lisanna said. "But don't a lot of the fics start from soon after I got back from Edolas?"

"That's right," Natsu said. "And in those cases, it's not a matter of saying we wouldn't treat Lucy like that- _we didn't_."

Lucy paused to think about it. Eight years had passed since then- but only one for those who had been on Tenrou Island- and in spite of that, it seemed so much longer, with all the adventures and battles the members of Fairy Tail had been through. She had been through a great deal of hardship in that time, but could not think of anyone she would rather share it with than the rest of Fairy Tail.

With that in mind, she thought of the next group to talk with- those with whom Lisanna would want to share her adventures and life- Elfman and Mirajane.

* * *

 _Omake: S Class Nominations_

Makarov held a meeting with the three remaining S Class wizards shortly after the end of Fairy Tail's adventure in Edolas.

"All right, let's brainstorm some names for the S-Class exams," Makarov said. "I'd like eight candidates this year, so let's have each of you bring two names to the table. First up, Gildarts."

Gildarts nodded.

"Yeah," Gildarts said. "My first pick is Natsu. He's certainly eager and his skills have gotten better since last time, but at the same time, I hope that the exam will also teach him a lesson in knowing his limits before he runs into that black dragon. My second pick is Cana. She's a guild veteran who's been trying a long time, so I think that maybe, this year will be the one she does it."

"Those sound like good picks," Makarov said. "Erza?"

"Right," Erza said. "My first pick is Gray. He's been with us for years, is highly skilled, and I hope he and Natsu will push each other farther on the teset. My second pick is Juvia, who, despite being our former enemy, demonstrated a great deal of passion, loyalty to the guild and skill. She's also a former elite of Phantom Lord, which, rather than being a mark against her, shows that she has a great deal of experience under her belt, and would likely be a worthy addition to our S-Class."

"Sounds reasonable," Makarov said. "Mira, you're next."

"Ok," Mirajane said. "My first choice is my younger brother, Elfman. He performed well against Phantom Lord and mastered the full-body Take Over in the process, so I'd like to give him a chance. My other choice is Fried of the Raijin Tribe. He's quite powerful- using his Dark Ecriture: Darkness ability, he was able to hold his own against me as I used Satan Soul. He also deeply regrets his actions fighting against the guild and would like to turn over a new leaf, so including him would be a good gesture toward the Raijin Tribe."

Makarov paused to consider what Mirajane had said. While he had no choice but to expel Laxus in spite of Laxus being a powerful mage and his grandson, he was willing to give Laxus' followers a second chance, so long as they proved themselves loyal to the guild as a whole first and Laxus second.

"Master?" Mirajane said.

"I like all of those choices," Makarov said, "and I'd like to pick two of my own. The first is Levy of Team Shadow Gear, who has demonstrated high intelligence and good teamwork. The second is someone you may not remember- his name is Mest Gryder, and he was a promising candidate in last year's exam. Are there any objections?"

The others shook their heads. While neither of Makarov's nominations were especially high on any of their lists- especially not Mest, whom barely anyone remembered- they saw no reason to object.

"That's good to hear," Makarov said. "I'll be going with those eight as candidates, so this meeting is adjourned."

After the meeting, Erza privately met with Mirajane.

"I'm a bit surprised, Mira," Erza said. "You didn't nominate Lisanna."

"Well, she just got back from Edolas," Mirajane said, "so I don't think she's ready or willing to try for S-Class at this point."

Erza nodded in agreement.

"That said, Erza, I'm also surprised that you didn't choose Lucy," Mirajane said. "You've worked with her a fair amount since she joined, so you should know what she's capable of.

Erza shrugged.

"Well, I'd nominate my entire team if I could," Erza said, "but there are many other strong candidates in this guild. Let's give chances to some of the longer-standing members and mages who were veterans elsewhere while having some of the newer ones, like Lucy and Wendy, get experience. The two of them already have many friends here, so I'm sure they'll find someone who will take them as their partner."

"True," Mirajane said. "Most people never even have a shot at becoming S-Class, but in spite of that, enjoy the guild for what it is. Perhaps some will eventually leave and move on to bigger and better things, but none of them forget that they're ever a part of Fairy Tail."

Erza could not help but smile. The last part of the Fairy Tail farewell ceremony had always resonated with her in that way, and had been her primary reason for administering it to her friends Millianna, Sho and Wally, even though none of them had any contacts from or information about Fairy Tail. She hoped that her team would stay together for as long as it could, and that even if they had to go their separate ways in the future, they would cherish the memories of their time together.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

We now come to the primary offenders in these fics apart from Natsu and Lisanna themselves and hear from them.

This is also to compare Lucy and Lisanna's skill. Lucy naturally comes off as stronger, but while Lisanna doesn't have any especially impressive feats to her name, there are reasons why she and Juvia weren't able to defeat Erza in the exam.

The omake's purpose is partly to illustrate how the eight S-Class candidates were chosen, as well as why Lucy and Lisanna weren't chosen.


	3. The Strauss Siblings

**The Strauss Siblings**

Lucy, Natsu and Lisanna then approached Mirajane and Elfman; Mirajane was tending the bar while Elfman was sitting on a stool.

"Good to see you three again," Mirajane said. "Erza stopped by earlier and she told us that there were some fics saying some unpleasant things about Natsu and Lisanna."

"That's putting it mildly," Lucy said.

"To think that people would say stuff like that about my little sister and Natsu," Elfman said. "You know what I think about that?"

"Yeah, it's not something a real man would do," Natsu said.

"You've got to say it like this- MAN!" Elfman said, but let off a resigned sigh, knowing that Natsu knew him too well.

"Elf-nii-chan's fairly predictable in that sense," Lisanna said. "At least some of them managed to capture that aspect to him, even if they didn't even try to portray me correctly."

"And what about me?" Mirajane said. "Erza didn't say much about me."

"Well, in some of them, you don't go along with that, Mira-nee," Lisanna said. "I was glad for that, since I heard you and Lucy hit it off pretty well."

"Yeah," Lucy said. "Mira-san's one of the major reasons I came to Fairy Tail, and we've gotten along well ever since I joined. I'd heard a little about you before you came back, so I was also glad you were as nice as the others said you were."

Elfman paused to think, and after a burst of inspiration came over with him, he turned to Lisanna.

"I've got an idea, Lisanna," Elfman said. "What if the Edolas version of you is a jerk, just like the Edolas version of me is a wimp, and she's the one who came back instead in those fics?"

"That's a decent idea, in theory Elf-nii-chan," Lisanna said, "but as I was being dragged away- which proved to those present that I had internal magic and wasn't from Edolas- the Edolas versions of you and Mira-nee called me a kind girl, just like their deceased sister. While in Edolas, I heard many stories about what the Edolas version of me did, which is why I thought they believed I was her- or perhaps, why they wanted to believe that."

Lisanna had greatly mixed feelings about her guildmates in Edolas. They were kind people, but they were not the people she remembered; the Edolas versions of her siblings were not the ones who had essentially raised her, and Natsu Draygon was not the one who had helped her watch over and warm Happy's egg. Given the choice, she would prefer to go to the Earthland versions of her siblings and friends, but had no desire to cause their Edolas counterparts pain. It all seemed like a moot point as long as going home appeared to be impossible, but knowing that her siblings' counterparts knew the truth and wished for her to be reunited with their Earthland selves took a great weight off Lisanna's shoulders and enabled her to go home with as few regrets as possible.

"I see," Mirajane said. "I wish I could meet those versions of us from Edolas, get to know them, and thank them for looking out for you for the two years you were gone."

"So do I, Mira-nee," Lisanna said. "They treated me just like they treated my counterpart. Since I think I turned out the way I did because I had you and Elf-nii-chan watching over me, it makes sense that my counterpart would be very similar."

"True," Mirajane said. "You're a good girl, Lisanna, no matter what those who write about you say."

Saying goodbye to Lisanna's siblings for the moment, the three humans and the Exceed got some lunch and sat at a table together.

"So all of our friends and Lisanna's siblings wouldn't treat us that way," Lucy said.

"That much is kind of obvious," Happy said. "But where do we go from here?"

"Where else?" Lucy said. "After we eat, let's go find the one person around here who actually treats me like a romantic rival and hear her thoughts on this."

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
**

Thank you for the favorites and follows

Incidentally, the Fairy Tail magazine says "Lisanna is cheerful and sociable, and is able to open up to anyone instantly. Her simple and innocent character appears to be the result of being lovingly raised by her kind sister and brother." Apart from how none of these traits come across when she's demonized, it's an interesting look at why Lisanna is the way she is.


	4. Juvia

**Juvia**

Some time after their conversation with the Strauss siblings ended, the three found Juvia with Gray in the main hall. The two were having lunch together, which Juvia was clearly enjoying more than Gray was.

"Hi, Juvia," Lucy said, and the other two also greeted her.

"Why hello, Lucy, Natsu-san, Lisanna-san," Juvia said. "Gray-sama told Juvia about these fanfics the three of you were asking about."

"Sounds like word travels fast, huh?" Lucy said. "So what's your take on it, Juvia?"

"It's certainly no way to treat a love rival," Juvia said. "You may be Juvia's love rival, Lucy, but you are also a friend, as the first woman who has shown Juvia kindness."

"Glad to hear that," Lucy said. "But while I suppose it's too much to ask you to stop thinking I'm in love with Gray, in the fics, Natsu and Lisanna think of me as an obstacle to _their_ relationship."

"Really?" Juvia said.

"Yeah," Gray said. "Lisanna's a friend of mine, but she jumped on Natsu the moment she saw him again once she returned to Earthland. And, of course, Juvia and Lucy were as much strangers to her as their Edolas counterparts were to us back thn."

"That's right," Lisanna said. "But at the same time, I liked their Edolas selves, and their Earthland selves were nicer than their Edolas selves, which is yet another reason I'm glad that I'm home."

"Thank you for the kind words, Lisanna-san," Juvia said.

"Case in point," Lisanna said. "The Edolas version of Juvia doesn't use '-san' on me."

While not a stickler for formality, Lisanna realized that different people had different standards of politeness, so she appreciated the degree of respect Juvia showed her.

"It would seem Juvia will have to update her love chart for these fanfics," Juvia said.

Juvia then, with her imagination, summoned a love chart with various people's portraits and various arrows- those pointed on one end signified unrequited love, while those pointed on both ends displayed those who had mutual love, at the very least. Some of the people with only tangential relevance, such as Meredy and Ultear, were removed. Others had their relationships updated, as Sherry and Ren were labeled as being a couple, before being removed due to being irrelevant.

The final result was a smaller and more pared down chart. Juvia was in love with Gray, while Gray and Chelia were in love with Lyon. Natsu and Lisanna were in love with each other. Meanwhile, Lucy was in love with Natsu, and also had an arrow pointing to "Unknown."

"That's a better chart," Gray said, "although there's still the matter of my arrow pointing to that jerk Lyon, of all people. As Ur's senior disciple, he's like an older brother I can't admit to liking."

"So a bit like Natsu-san, then?" Juvia said.

"If you say so," Gray said, with a shrug, and Lucy and Lisanna chuckled. There had been a time when Lyon had despised Gray, blaming him for their teacher's death, but the two had moved past it, back to the somewhat friendly rivalry they had as fellow disciples of Ur.

Lucy turned back to the love triangle chart, and sighed. She was close to Natsu, but could not say for certain that she was in love with him, so she would have erased the arrow if she could. Still, as far as the fanfics went, it seemed a reasonable guess, so she decided to leave it be for now, turning her attention to where- and to whom- the other arrow went.

"What's this Unknown, Juvia?" Lucy said.

"Ah, yes," Juvia said. "Juvia heard that you were often paired to someone else while on the rebound, so to speak, Lucy, so this arrow represents oe such person who might be one of the others on there."

"Hmmm..." Lucy said. "I do recall that, but I always wondered whether I'd be embittered by what I went through."

A part of Lucy- the avid reader and aspiring writer- was very familiar with the stories in which people who swore they would never love again ended up falling in love with the most unlikely individuals, and the underlying messages to be true to one's feelings and give love a chance. At the same time, though, she had enough life experience to know that things did not always go so smoothly, although she tried to be patient with Juvia, who thought of life as a romance novel and herself as the female lead.

"Juvia has been through such experiences before," Juvia said, "such as a failed relationship with Bora, which ended because of Juvia being a rain woman, but Juvia realized that Gray-sama was the one for Juvia shortly after we met."

"Wait, that guy?" Lucy and Natsu said in unison, while Lisanna's expression was blank.

"You know him?" Lisanna said.

"Yeah, he's a dark mage who pretended to be Natsu and tried to kidnap me just before I joined," Lucy said. "The real Natsu, however, made short work of him, and helped me realize that Fairy Tail doesn't have that kind of people in it."

"Quite true," Juvia said, "which is what Lucy showed me when we fought together at the Tower of Heaven. Juvia considers Fairy Tail home, and calls its members friends, even if some of the girls are Juvia's rivals in love."

"You never, change, do you, Juvia?" Lucy said, amused. "But at the same time, I'm glad that, no matter who we're in love with, we're able to stay friends."

"So is Juvia," Juvia said.

The group, having spoken with most of their close friends, decided to see another of Lucy's friends, and find out how she dealt with being at the center of her own love triangle.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.


	5. Team Shadow Gear and Gajeel

**Team Shadow Gear and Gajeel**

The three who were in the imagined love triangle found Team Shadow Gear and Gajeel outside the guild hall, not far from where Gajeel had staked the three to a tree, and where Jet and Droy had, over Levy's protests, attacked Gajeel in revenge, only to see that he refused to fight back, and shielded Levy from Laxus' lightning.

"Well, if it isn't Bunny Girl, Salamander and Lisanna," Gajeel said, not having thought of a nickname for the latter. "Here to talk about the fics?"

"Yeah," Natsu said, "particularly why you're not one of those who are hard on Lucy."

"If you think about it, it's not hard to see why," Levy said. "Gajeel had a hard time fitting in at first, so, on some level, he wouldn't ostracize Lu-chan the same way he was when he first got in."

Gajeel let off a sigh. There were many things that he was reluctant to talk about, particularly his past and his regrets. Among them was the fact that while he believed Fairy Tail's initial distrust of him was only natural, it stung him more than he wanted to admit, causing him to work hard to integrate himself into the guild.

"That's... part of the reason," Gajeel said. "But I also find it pretty funny that the fics say Lucy's weak, when she's worlds beyond those two jokers." Gajeel pointed at Jet and Droy. "My first encounter with the two of them and you aside, you wouldn't believe how many times you and I have had to bail their asses out of trouble."

"Yeah," Levy said. "But while the two of them do get into trouble sometimes, they're still my friends, even if they'll never be anything more than that."

"Ah, a love triangle," Lucy said. "I imagine it complicates things, doesn't it?"

"Not really," Levy said. "I'm something of a master at quickly shooting down confession. My record is about a second, almost at Gray's level, even if he isn't trying as hard when it comes to Juvia these days."

"So Jet and Droy have been friendzoned, right?" Lisanna said. With a sigh, Jet and Droy nodded in response.

"You could say that," Levy said. "It's a bit of a delicate task to ensure that they realize that they're my friends- nothing more and nothing less- but it's one that I'm determined to do well for their sake."

"Good for you, Levy-chan," Lucy said approvingly. "Perhaps this entire issue would be avoided if both the 'winners' and the 'losers' in love triangles treated each other with respect."

Levy nodded. While Jet and Droy often bickered over who would get Levy, there was no real animosity behind it. When the two of them were trapped in a jutsu-shiki, and the only apparent way to escape and save Levy was to fight each other, they refused... until Alzack, who was similarly desperate to save Bisca, easily dispatched them. The entire incident had, paradoxically enough, both highlighted the deep divisions and rivalries in Fairy Tail and the strength of their friendships, as long-time friends had fought each other to save the petrified girls, and had banded together to destroy the Thunder Palace.

Back then, at the climax of the battle, they had stood together against those who wanted to put power before friendship, so Lucy had no doubt in their mind that they would not tolerate her being mistreated for being weak or in Natsu and Lisanna's way.

"So, Natsu, I have a question," Levy said. "Do you like Lucy and Lisanna as friends?"

"You bet I do!" Natsu said without hesitation.

"Good," Levy said. "Then I offer you this advice; treat them with respect, be honest with them and let them know how much you appreciate them. That said, I know you two well enough to be sure that you wouldn't do that to Lu-chan, but I'm just saying that for your information."

"Gotcha," Natsu said.

Lucy had found it somewhat improbable that Gajeel, hardly a nice person even on his best days, would abstain from shunning her. As such, they decided to move on to one final group that, against all odds, was not part of her tormentors in those fics- Laxus and his personal clique- and the master of Fairy Tail himself.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.

An interesting bit about the Fantasia Arc is that many of the people who fight each other (Macao and Wakaba, Mikuni and Tono, Warren and Max, and Nab and Vijeeter) before Erza defeats Evergreen are best friends, as you can see in the Sorcerer's Weekly interviews.


	6. Makarov, Laxus and the Raijin Tribe

**Makarov, Laxus and the Raijin Tribe**

Lucy then approached Makarov, his grandson Laxus, and Laxus' bodyguards upstairs in the guild.

"Why hello, you three," Makarov said. "Is this about the fanfics that are going around in which Natsu and Lisanna kick Lucy out of the guild?"

"That's right, Gramps," Natsu said. "Specifically, I wanna know why you'd stand for that sort of thing."

"He wouldn't," Laxus said. "He kicked out my dad- his own son- when he threatened his guild members, and did the same to me. I'm only back in thanks to Gildarts' first, last and only action as fifth master."

Lucy pondered Laxus's expulsion and reinstatement. Makarov had found it difficult to expel his grandson from the guild, even after everything Laxus had done, but as Erza pointed out, it was one that he had to do and stand by. He was Master of Fairy Tail, and thus was responsible for everyone's well being, which meant that he had a zero-tolerance for policy those who harmed their guildmates- which would include Natsu, Lisanna and anyone else who participated in the kind of mistreatment of Lucy that was shown in the fanfics. Perhaps he could give a second chance to Laxus' followers, but Laxus himself had to go.

Lucy had a theory regarding the reason for Gildarts' short-lived term as Fifth Master. She wondered if Makarov, having retracted his thanks for Laxus' help to remind him that he hadn't been reinstated "yet," wanted to bring Laxus back into the fold now that he had learned his lesson, but could not do so lest he weaken his own credibility. As such, he appointed someone who was not present during Laxus' takeover attempt and would not stay around.

Of course, Lucy knew that even if she was right, Makarov would never confirm the theory. The old master of Fairy Tail kept many secrets, and it was possible that there were some that he would not admit to himself. With that in mind, Lucy kept her theories to herself and moved on to the next question.

"That reminds me," Lucy said. "I've got a question for Freed and Bickslow."

"Go ahead," Freed said.

"When Cana and I went up against you in the S-Class Exam, you two went down fairly easily," Lucy said. "By comparison, she lost against you, and Bickslow was someone I could only defeat with Loke's help. You two let us win, didn't you?"

"You got us," Bickslow said. "It was Fried's idea."

Bickslow's dolls echoed "Fried's idea."

"Well, it seemed like an interesting coincidence that we'd end up facing the two of you," Fried said. "There's a four in eight chance of getting one of the battle routes, and a one in seven chance of you ending up in that route, and, of course, there was the two of you getting together. As such, the odds of this happening are extremely low."

"Hmm..." Lucy said. "The four in eight part is right, but by the time we got there, that was the only route left. As for why I picked Cana, I noticed she was depressed, and wanted her to become S-Class so she wouldn't quit the guild. She seemed to want it more than most people, so that she could finally talk to her father; since I didn't have the best relationship with mine, I sympathized."

"Good point," Fried said. "You're also correct that Cana probably wanted it more. After hearing that I was nominated for an S-Class candidate, I thought to become Laxus' successor. Having had some time to think about it, though, I thought you two would be good candidates, as well, since you would ensure that Fairy Tail stayed as it was."

"Which, obviously, means that it shouldn't ever become what it is in those fics," Evergreen said. "Similarly, if Erza's worthy of the name Titania, she shouldn't stand for that, either."

"That's for sure," Lucy said. "She said as much when I spoke with her earlier."

Laxus nodded in agreement

"The old man said something profound to me just before he kicked me out," Laxus said. "He called Fairy Tail a home for those without parents, a gathering place for friends and also a place for people to work and earn a living, not something to be owned. I'd wanted to make the guild stronger, one that people wouldn't laugh at, but I was truly missing out on what it was really all about. Spending time away from it made me realize I missed the place, which is why I'm grateful to be back."

Makarov allowed himself a smile, as did Natsu. Natsu had liked the idea of a guild-wide fighting tournament to see who was the strongest, but he disliked forcing friends to fight one another, and believed that since Laxus did not participate in Fairy Tail's social circle, his attempts at changing the guild were futile at best. Natsu was glad that Laxus was back, and hopeful that he could have a one-on-one rematch with him one day.

Natsu also thought about the fics, in which he and the other members of the team ganged up on Lucy, taking her by surprise and beating her up. To him, fighting was most enjoyable as a way of proving one's strength against others, and there was little honor in fighting a outnumbered opponent. He would deign to do so when it was necessary to protect the guild against someone he could not defeat alone, as he had with Gajeel against Laxus, but he would not enjoy it, nor would he do anything of the sort to a friend.

"It goes without saying at this point," Laxus said, "but I'm sorry about my past actions, the most relevant of which is judging Lucy as weak. She stood up and fought Phantom Lord with the others, which is more than I can say for my buddies and I. And, of course, the two ex-Phantom Lord members stood together with the rest of the guild against me."

Lucy nodded. She realized that winning against the Alvarez Empire would require more than determination or loyalty to the guild, but she believed in her friends, the rest of her guildmates and Fairy Tail's allies. Fairy Tail was a guild full of friends and comrades who stood together and helped each other, and as long as Lucy held true to that spirit, there would always be a place for her.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.

It's worth noting that Natsu's views on fighting also mean that he wouldn't gang up on Lucy to beat her up. He sees fighting as a means of proving his own strength, although he will team up with others in desperate situations (as controversial as his knocking Gajeel out of the fight and beating Sting and Rogue by himself is, he probably didn't see that as an emergency, since lives weren't on the line back then).

That's it for this fic for now, but I may update it again when more comes out related to NaLu, NaLi or shipping matters, so if you're interested, please follow this. Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you again when I post more.


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